When the war hits home
by ANightingaleInAGoldenCage
Summary: A tale of the Marauders, Lily, and their friends. Starting at the beginning of their sixth year, it'll tell a tale of romance, hurt, anger and everything that comes with living in the war. Especially when the war really hits close to home, and starts affecting everything.
1. Chapter 1

This is one of my stories. It has been posted on another site too, so if you come across it, it could be possible. I hope you enjoy this story!

Also: all original characters belong to me. Everything else is jkr's.

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Rain was pelting down heavily, creating lots of puddles on the streets of London. Every now and then, a lightning struck the air, and was closely followed by a loud rumble, indicating that the thunderstorm was nearby. People were making mad dashes across the streets, either running for their car, or otherwise to seek shelter in nearby stores. Loads of other people, carrying birds, cats, large trunks, and the occasional toad, were making a run for the station, ignoring comments of people that they looked ridiculous. Even more so, people were confused as to how these owl people were staying completely dry, but didn't ponder long on it all, as they weren't all too keen on getting soaked to their underwear themselves.

The people rushing to the station didn't exactly stop running upon entering, as it was already ten to eleven and many people were late due to the heavy rainfall. A lot of people at the station who did not understand what people were running for and why they would carry the luggage they were carrying, shot them dirty looks as they were running through the station, only just managing to steer their carts properly as they rounded a corner.

It wasn't just a family running across the station. In fact, there were many families with children who appeared that they should be in school at that age, all pushing a cart, some looking slightly green as if they were nervous, some excited, and some indifferent. Despite the running, a few people were shouting across the platform, as they spotted others running ahead. Yelling things like 'Oi! Mur! Fancy you seeing here! Also running late? Can you believe this is our last year?' and 'Oi, Brit! Do you know who the Prefects are this year? I so hope it isn't Andrews!' These phrases raised several eyebrows, but people figured it must be some school for lunatics - or people who were open minded or something. Why else would people bring owls and toads and - was that a broom?

However, one of those families kept going straight ahead, as their oldest daughter was running to the border, muttering nonsense under her breath as to 'why those stupid Muggles wouldn't move' before disappearing all together. The family itself had trouble keeping up with their daughter, as they had to slow down to match the pace of a girl of about four years old, who was also with them. However, they did not fail to hear the words that escaped the girls mouth upon arriving at the platform, seeing as she was rather loud. They found her standing near one of the first wagons, where a brown-headed girl with curls was already waiting.

'I hate this bloody weather!' escaped the blonde's mouth, as she kicked the cart from underneath her trunk.

'Language, Christina!' her father said, as he joined the two girls. Christina, as the girl was named, ignored her father.

'Is Lily here yet?' she asked, before fishing her wand out of her jacket and shaking it in the air, considering the wood was soaking wet. She didn't take any care in making sure the red sparks that flew about didn't hit anyone.

'I haven't seen her, but I suppose she would be here soon. She knows I was going to get here early and would hold a coupe for us.' Christina nodded, eyeing her wand critically, before waving it in a manner that made her trunk fly in the air.

'I suppose her sister would make her late. Again,' Christina said. 'But at least you are here, Isa. Can you move aside a bit so I can levitate this thing? It's filled with useless crap. I don't fancy heaving that stupid thing in myself.' Isa grinned and moved aside, so Christina would be able to get her luggage into the coupé.

'I'm not late, am I?' Another voice shouted as she rushed to the wagon, pushing a cart in front of her, seemingly alone.

'You aren't, Lily!' Isa shouted. Lily halted as soon as she reached the wagon, so that her cart wouldn't hit the train. 'Good! Hi Isabelle!' She grinned at her, before noticing the people next to her.

'Oh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Richards, and hi, Hannah!' Lily crouched down to smile at the little girl. 'How have you been doing?'

'Good!' The little girl answered excitedly, as she clapped her pudgy hands. 'Glad to hear it,' Lily smiled at the little girl.

'How has your holiday been?' Isa asked Lily, as she pulled her trunk of her cart. The redheaded girl frowned, and sat her trunk on the ground so she could push a red, soaked strand of hair behind her ear.

'Good, I suppose. I mean, there was the drought, and there was Petunia starting to date at the beginning of the summer mind you. That's still going on by the way. I believe she met him at work. But other than that, it was fine.'

'Petunia still has that boyfriend?' Christina asked, appearing again. Lily nodded, grimacing, as Christina waved her wand again so that Lily's trunk floated in the air as well.

'Not so nice then?' Mrs Richards asked, lifting her four-year old in her arms, as the clock almost struck eleven.

'I don't like him.' Lily frowned. 'But I suppose, as long as she's happy, I'll have to accept it, whether I like it or not.' She shrugged, before stepping onto the train, and Christina floated her trunk inside before her. She shut the door behind her as the whistle blew, and stuck her head out of the window for a moment.

'Anyway, it was nice seeing you!' She waved at Hannah, as Christina did so from the coupé window, before turning around as the train began to move.

'I want details,' Isabelle and Christina said at the same time. Lily grinned. 'You will have them as soon as I get back from that Prefect-meeting. I hope it doesn't drag on too long, and I doubt I'll be setting a good example looking all drenched like this, but whatever.' Christina grinned.

'I'll see you back here then. We'll be waiting.' Lily smiled, as Isabelle waved her on towards the Prefectwagon. Christina mouthed to hurry up, and Lily left the two of them behind, laughing at her friends antics.


	2. Chapter 2

And chapter two!

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The journey to Hogwarts was well on it's way when the Prefect meeting in the front of the train was finally over. As the train took a sharp turn, the Prefects, Head Boy and Head Girl left the compartment. About half of them grumbled about the length of the meeting and the endless stream of questions that came from fifth year Egmont Flume, who, to his defence, did look rather red and kept saying that as a good Prefect he needed to know all that.

'I'm surprised Haden didn't lose his temper,' Tessie Fincher, the sixth year female Ravenclaw Prefect said as she walked next to Lily and Remus Lupin, almost stumbling into them as the carriage shook. 'I sure would have had I been in his position,' she continued, pushing her long, dark hair out of her face.

'Maybe Jeanine had something to do with that,' Lily said, frowning. 'I mean, she is Head Girl and she has lots of patience.' Remus Lupin, the sixth year Gryffindor Prefect and one of the Marauders, looked thoughtful. 'Maybe,' he said. 'Nevertheless, I'm not complaining about it. It could've gotten rather ugly if it had gotten out of hand.' Tessie shrugged, the shorter strands of her hair falling back into her face as she did so.

'Could've been interesting,' she said. Lily smiled, wondering why the girl wasn't placed in a house like Gryffindor, as Tessie moved the strands of her hair out of her face again, an irritated look on her face.

'Maybe, but I don't think we'd be setting a good example by doing that,' she said. 'And besides, there already is enough hatred and temper-losing going around in the hallways. I don't think we need it to happen between the Prefects and the Head Boy or Girl as well.' As Remus nodded, Tessie shrugged again, keeping her hand in her hair to prevent it from moving forwards yet again.

'You're right, but it still could've been interesting. Alas, I'll see you at the next Prefect meeting. I've got some catching up to do.' Lily smiled and nodded.

'See you there!' As Remus echoed her words, Tessie walked into a coupé where several other Ravenclaws sat, waving as she left them behind, and plopping unceremoniously down on a seat before Lily and Remus had time to walk away, legs sprawled all over the floor.

'Sometimes I wonder why she wasn't a Gryffindor. She would've fit perfectly,' Lily commented as she and Remus continued their way to the compartments their friends were seated, trying not to lose their balance in the moving train as they did so.

'Imagine how it would work out between her and us,' Remus commented. 'You and James argue enough as it is already. It would be only worse when she would have been added to the mix. No offense, by the way,' Remus said, with the hint of a smile on his face, and a slight twinkle in his eye.

'Maybe,' Lily admitted, looking as if she was deeply in thought. 'But even then, she would've fit, and it would've been interesting. She was right in that way.' Remus merely smiled.

'Anyway,' the redhead said. 'I'm here. I'll see you for rounds?' Remus nodded. 'I'll come here when it's time,' he said. Lily smiled again, and pushed a strand of wet, red hair out of her face.

'Okay, see you then!' And with that, she walked into the compartment Isabelle and Christina were already seated, closing the door behind her.

'Finally!' her blonde friend commented when she walked in, pretty much bouncing in her seat. 'What took you so long? You've been away for ages and you've yet to tell us about your holiday!' Christina was waving her arms frantically, as to emphasize her words, while Isabelle shot a glance at Christina, shaking her head slightly, before turning to Lily with an apologetic look on her face.

'I did tell her there probably was some long speech,' she said calmly. Lily shrugged and sat down, ignoring the frantic movements of Christina, who was still waving her arms and looked quite impatient.

'It was merely one of the new Prefects asking a hell lot of questions. No big speech. Jeanine McGregor is Head Girl, by the way, and Gregory Haden Head Boy,' she said. 'So I didn't expect one anyway. Haden is more a get-to-the-point and be done with it kind of guy.' She pushed a strand of hair, which was almost dry now, behind her ear as she sat down and leaned back against the cushions.

'Ugh. A Slytherin as a Head Boy. That'll work well,' Christina commented, the sarcasm dripping of her voice. 'At least McGregor is a fair one.' She folded her arms over her chest and looked slightly annoyed, while Isabelle merely pushed her glasses further up her nose.

'I don't think he'll do much under the nose of Dumbledore, and Haden isn't as bad as the Malfoy guy a few years back, or Avery or Mulciber. It could've been far worse.' Christina and Lily both eyed their friend, who said this all in a tone as if she was explaining a child how to add two and two together.

'Why weren't you in Ravenclaw again?' Christina asked, an incredulous look on her face.

'Because the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor,' Isabelle said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Lily snorted, and Christina pursed her lips.

'Clever. Anyway. Lily. Holiday update. We need details about this boyfriend of your sister's.' Isabelle sat up eagerly at this, and Christina turned herself so she could face Lily better, eyes shining in anticipation. The sixth year herself sat up a bit straighter and folded a leg beneath her, preparing herself for a long story.

The story was not quite finished when Remus Lupin showed up for rounds, which left Isabelle and Christina visibly frustrated, but when the rounds, during which nothing really happened, were over, the story was quickly picked up again, and finished just after they had changed into their uniforms, and right before they arrived in the station of Hogsmeade. Christina, looking severely disgusted by the details Lily had provided concerning a kissing Vernon and Petunia, even though she had asked for them herself, shook her head vehemently as if to get the images out of her mind, while Isabelle merely looked amused.

'I told you, you didn't want to know. I mean, it was bad enough walking in on them, let alone relive that memory for your entertainment!' Lily complained, as Christina looked shocked at these words and Isabelle merely laughed.

'What entertainment that was! I'll never get this out of my head!' she moaned, as the train came to a stop. Isabelle only laughed harder as they followed the mass to the exit of the train.

'You did ask for it yourself, you know,' she said, laughing.

'You should've stopped her! Stopped me! Anything!' Christina moaned. 'And look, to make myself even more miserable, the weather is simply horrid here as well, which leaves us soaking wet at the Sorting Ceremony as well, and we can't even warm ourselves up with soup because we have to wait 'till everyone is sorted! And, if we're even luckier, then certain people will have planned something for the Ceremony, which will cause it to last even longer and can't somebody just go and make it all shine rainbows and glitters and warmth or anything really to put me out of this misery?' This caused Isabelle to double over in laughter, while Lily tried not to laugh at her friends antics, though she was failing at it.

'Come on, before we get stuck waiting for a carriage, because then we'll be even more soaked. But it was your own fault, you know, and you don't have to witness them during the holidays.' Lily smiled again, before looking out of the window for a moment, where it was obvious that the rain was falling so hard you could barely see your surroundings.

'And it's not like we could've stopped you,' Isabelle added, still laughing. Christina merely huffed, at which Lily and Isabelle laughed even harder, which made the sprint to the carriages harder than it had to be.


End file.
